• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.7-16
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• 1981

Higenamine ($Ca_{26}H_{17}No_3$. HCI, d1-1- (4-hydroxybenzyl) -6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroiso-quinoline hydrochloride), which has recently teen isolated from the Aconite root, was known to the cardiotonic component of the Aconite root. The positive inotropic effect of Higenamine was observed in the isolated electrically driven left atrium from rabbits with respect to the influences of extracellular calcium and of calcium antagonists, e.g. $La^{+++}$ and verapamil. A synergistic relation in the positive inotropic effect could be demonstrated between Higenamine and extra cellular calcium. The inotropic potency of $10^{-7}\;g/ml$ Higenamine was equivalant to that of 0.058 mM of calcium in the medium. In the preparation, of which contractility had been reduced by the treatment of $La^{+++}(10^{-5}-10^{-4}M)$ and verapamil$(2{\times}10^{-7}-10^{-6}M)$, Higenamine was able to restore the contractility. These results indicated that one of the possible mechanism of positive inotropism of Higenamine was to accelerate the influx of calcium from the extracellular space through the sarcolemma.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1987

A procedure utilizing high pressure liquid chroatography coupled with UV detection is described for the determination of blood concentration of higenamine. Deproteinized serum was pretreated with$C_{18}$(Sep-pak $C_{18}$ cartridge) and the 70% EtOH eluent was applied onto a reversed-phase column ($\mu$ Bondapak $C_{18}]$) with a 15% acetonitrile in 0.05 N $NaH_2$$PO_4$-trichloroacetic acid mixed buffer (pH 2.8) as a mobile phase. With the UV detection at 232 nm, the retention times of higenamine and 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydropapaveroline, an internal standard, were 5.2 min and 3.9 min respectively. The blood concentration of higenamine was meausred at regular intervals after i. v. injection of higenamine to rabbit. A drastic decrease in higenamine concentration to 30% of the maximum value obtained immediately after the injection, was observed during the first 1-2 min period and thereafter the rate of decrease was slowed down. The analytical result seemed to coincide with the pharmacological effect of higenamine exerting the maximum chronotropic and hypotensive effect at the completion of the injections which were progressively recovered.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 1992

Higenamine is an Aconiti tuber derived compound whose chemical structure is 1-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)-6, 7-dihydroxy-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline containing catechol ring and tetrahydroisoquinoline nucleus in its own structure, both of which are well known to have agonistic effects on adrenergic receptors. Using guinea-pig atria(rich in ${\beta}_1$-receptor) and treachea(rich in ${\beta}_2$-receptor), we studied pharmacological actions of higenamine on these organs with special interest of its relevancy of ${\beta}$-receptor selectivity. In order to further clarify its pharmacological characteristics, the influncences of pretreatment of reserpine or cocaine were also investigated. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Higenamine had remarkable chronotropic, inotropic and bronchodilator effects in guinea-pig spontaneously beating right atria, left atria and trachea, in dose-dependent manners. 2. All of above actions were blocked competitively by propranolol, which shows nonselectivity of higenamine on ${\beta}$-receptor. $pA_2$ values of propranolol against higenamine were 7.93, 7.76 and 8.46 in guinea-pig right atria, left atria and treachea, respectively. 3. Reserpine pretreatment(5mg/kg, ip, 24h) did not show my decrease in pharmacological actions of higenamine, which suggests higenamine has direct action on ${\beta}$-receptor not via catecholamine release. 4. Cocaine pretreatment$(1{\mu}M)$ had no influence on pharmacological actions of higenamine in contrast with nor epinephrine, which suggests there is no neuronal uptake mechanism of higenamine in the studied organ preparations.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1986

A cardiac principle of Aconiti tuber, higenamine was analyzed with a differential pluse voltammetry employing a glassy carbon electrode. The peak potentials for the oxidation of higenamine were varied depending on the pH of the media. Higenamine at the concentration of $5.4{\times}10^{-7}M$ (0.146ppm) was easily determined using a pH 7.0 phosphate buffer. The amounts of higenamine in the crude Aconiti tuber and tablets containing A. tuber were determined by a standard addition method after extracting with methanol, partitioning with a mixture of $H_2O$ and $CHCl_3$, and freeze-drying the aqueous layer.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 1996

The antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of higenamine were evaluated by measuring edema volume and pain threshold in adjuvant arthritic rats and acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. Higenamine, with consecutive oral administrations at doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg/day, showed significant antiedemic effect and elevation of pain threshold during the secondary lesion of adjuvant arthritis. Higenamine also showed a significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing syndrome with a single oral administration (200 mg/kg). From these results, it is postulated that higenamine might possess both of centrally and peripherally mediated analgesic properties.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 1987

The effects of higenamine were investigated in the single atrial and ventricular myocyte of the guinea pig by using patch clamp method. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Isoprenaline which is known to be ${\beta}-agonist$ increased the duration of action potential and calcium current in ventricular cells. 2) Higenamine also increased the duration of action potential and calcium current in ventricular myocytes. And its effect was blocked by propranolol. 3) In the atrial cells, isoprenaline showed ${\beta}-agonist$ effects, which were increasing the duration of action potential and calcium current same as in ventricular cells. 4) Higenamine, however, showed the opposite effects of ${\beta}-agonist$ which were decreasing the duration of action potential and calcium current. The above results suggest that higenamine has the typical ${\beta}-agonist$ effect in ventricular cells but inhibitory effect in atrial cells and this effect on atrium could be due to the reduction of calcium current.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 1986

Higenamine, dl-1-( 4-hydroxybenzyl)-6, 7-dihydroxy-1 ,2, 3 ,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline has been synthesized and evaluated for hemodynamic actions using rabbits under pentobarbital anesthesia. Concentration-related fall of mean blood pressure was observed, where diastolic blood presure was significantly lowered at 10 ug/kg/min or above (p<.05), while the systolic blood pressure was slightly increased or unaffected, thereby, causing increment of pulse pressure. No significant change was occured in heart rate, however, carotid artery blood flow was significantly (p<.05) increased. These actions were inhibited with pretreatment of 0.3 mg/kg of propranolol, beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, 5 minutes before infusion of higenamine indicating that higenamine compete with propranolol for the so-called beta adrenergic receptor. As comparison, the same procedure was applied to isoproterenol as well, where typical antagonism of propranolol against isoproterenol was shown. From these findings the vasodilating and diastolic blood pressure lowing effects could be explained in terms of cardiac beta stimulating action, however, dopamine receptor activation could not be excluded because no significant changes observed in chronotropism.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 1999

Nitric oxide synthesized by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been implicated as a mediator of inflammation in rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. The effects of higenamine, a tetrahydroisoquinoline compound, on induction of NOS by bacterial lipopolysaccaride (LPS) were examined in murine peritoneal macrophages. LPS-induced nitrite/nitrate production was markedly inhibited by higenamine which at 0.01 mM, decreased nitrite/nitrate levels by $48.7{\pm}4.4%$This was comparable to the inhibition of LPS-induced nitrite/nitrate production by tetrandrin ($49.51{\pm}2.02%$). at the same concentration. Northern and Western blot analysis of iNOS expression demonstrated that iNOS expression was significantly attenuated following co-incubation of peritoneal macrophages with LPS (10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/m;; 18hrs) and higenamine (0.001, 0.,01 mM; 18hrs). These results suggest that higenamine can inhibit LPS-induced expression of iNOS mRNA in murine peritoneal macrophages. The clinical implications of these findings remain to be established.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2001

Recent studies have shown that cytokines are capable of modulating cardiovascular function and that some drugs used in the treatment of heart failure variably modulate the production of cytokines. Hige- namine, a positive inotropic isoquinoline alkaloid, has been used traditionally as cardiac stimulant, and reported to reduce nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in LPS- and/or cytokine-activated cells in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we investigated whether higenamine modulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines in myocardial infarction. In addition, effects of higenamine on antioxidant action and antioxidant enzyme expression (MnSOD) were studied. Myocardial infarction (MI) was confirmed by measuring left ventricular (LV) pressure after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 5 weeks in rats. Treatment of higenamine (10 mg/kg/day) reduced infarct size about 35 %, which accompanied by reduction of production TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, but not IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-1$\beta$ in the myocardium. The expression of TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA in infracted myocardium was significantly reduced by higenamine. Although iNOS mRNA was not detected, nitrotyrosine staining was significantly increased in myocardium of Ml compared to higenamine-treated one, Indicating that peroxynitrite-induced damage is evident in MI. Cytochrome c oxidation by peroxynitrite was concentration-dependently reduced by higenamine, an effect which was almost compatible to glutathion. Higenamine treatment did not affect the expression of MnSOD mRNA in myocardial tissues in MI. Taken together, higenamine may be beneficial in oxidative stress conditions such as ischemic-reperfusion injury and MI due to antioxidant action as well as modulation of cytokines.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.245-252
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• 1986

Various structural analogs of higenamine, 1-(4'-hydroxylbenzyl)-6,7-dihydroxy-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, were synthesized and their inhibitory activities against platelet aggregation induced by either arachidonic acid, ADP or collagen. Among the twenty-five compounds tested, inhibitory activity is favored by the 3, 4-dihydroisoquinoline system with the methyl bridge between the two aromatic rings replaced by either ethyl or ethenyl group. N-Methyl quaternization decreased the inhibitory activities. * 이논문의 내용중 편집상의 오류가 있습니다. 그에대한 정오표는 v.31, n.1의 45p.에 있습니다.